A rescue operation turned dramatic on Friday when crews raced to pull a man from the Watauga River after he fell off a cliff on the west side of Beech Mountain. Officials say the man was found trapped among boulders in the water with serious injuries and was flown to a Winston-Salem trauma center. His name and specific condition have not been released.
Photos and a rescue-squad update shared on social media show crews wading through heavily forested, knee-deep water to reach him, according to The Charlotte Observer. The paper reports that in a Facebook post, the rescue squad said "the individual had taken some serious injuries when he fell." The Observer notes the man was discovered on Friday, although it is not clear how long he may have been waiting for help.
How Rescuers Reached Him
Beech Mountain police reached the injured man from the far bank of the river, then rescuers set up a high-line rope system to haul him across to the east shore, where Avery EMS took over care, WataugaOnline reports. Linville-Central Rescue Squad, Avery EMS, the Fall Creek and Cove Creek volunteer fire departments, the Avery County Sheriff's Office, Watauga and Avery emergency management teams, and the N.C. State Highway Patrol were all listed among the agencies on scene. A medical-evacuation helicopter then flew the patient to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem for further treatment.
What Officials Have Released
The fall happened on the west side of Beech Mountain, a rugged stretch of the High Country near the Tennessee line about 125 miles northwest of Charlotte, according to The Charlotte Observer. Officials have not released the man's identity or described his exact injuries, and the rescue squad's Facebook post remains the only public source with on-the-ground operational details. As of Saturday, no additional official updates had appeared on local agency channels.
